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Jefferson grad Payne’s breathing slowing him down

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By Sean McClelland, Staff Writer 9:46 PM Friday, February 10, 2012

Adreian Payne, Michigan State’s 6-foot-10 center, apparently has a smaller lung capacity than is normal for someone his size, which explains why he often appears winded on the court.

“I can’t breathe in as much air,” the Jefferson High School graduate recently told mlive.com after MSU coach Tom Izzo first talked about the abnormality.

“It sucks. You’re running and you’re so tired, you’ve got to take short breaths and you’ve got to gasp for air. You’re trying to get as much air as you can get, but you can’t get it. That’s why I’m so tired.”

The news surprised Jefferson coach Art Winston, who said he and his former player talk on the phone about three times a week.

“Who said that? Because I don’t know anything about that,” Winston said. “He used to get tired quick, but that was because he played hard.”

The Spartans likely will need all that Payne can give them today when they visit Columbus for a first-place Big Ten showdown with Jared Sullinger and Ohio State (6 p.m., ESPN).

Payne scored a career-high 12 points in Wednesday’s blowout of Penn State, but a few turnovers and missed shots around the basket tainted the effort and Izzo said the Spartans need more at both ends of the floor from the sophomore.

But it’s not clear how much more Payne can muster. He’s sharing big-man minutes with Derrick Nix, averaging 17.5 minutes per game, along with 7.0 points and 4.1 rebounds. Seven Spartans play more, and while foul trouble is sometimes a factor, clearly it’s not the only one.

Payne learned of the lung issue shortly after arriving at MSU last year, and while there’s no fix for his lack of wind, he’s been told more conditioning could help.

Winston remains puzzled, saying, “I’m not in their practices, so I don’t know exactly what’s going on. He’s getting a lot of playing time for a sophomore, and I think he’s doing real well.”

And the bigger picture?

“I know he’s getting to live a dream playing at Michigan State,” Winston said, “and he’s real excited about playing Ohio State.”

Campus tour

• Florida Gulf Coast University senior guard Courtney Chihil (Alter) has been named to the 2012 Capital One Academic All-District 4 Women’s Basketball first team. It’s made up of student-athletes from Division I schools in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Puerto Rico and South Carolina. A nursing major, Chihil has a 3.86 GPA while leading her 22-2 team in assists and minutes.

• Samarie Walker (Chaminade Julienne) had her best game for Kentucky on Jan. 19 with 18 points and nine rebounds in a 69-64 win over Georgia. Two games later the Connecticut transfer went 1-for-11 from the field but pulled down 15 rebounds in a 66-48 thrashing of Auburn.

• At Stanford, a foot injury has kept junior forward Mikaela Ruef (Beavercreek) sidelined since the third game of the season.

• Georgia Tech distance runner Shawn Roberts (Centerville) won the 800 meters at the Virginia Tech Elite Invitational last weekend (1:51.23), his second indoor win of the season.

If you have information about an area athlete in college, send an email to smcclelland @DaytonDailyNews.com.

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